Following yesterday’s NATO summit, US President Donald Trump will today travel to the UK and attend a dinner with 150

Photo: Steve Parsons/AP

Following yesterday’s NATO summit, US President Donald Trump will today travel to the UK and attend a dinner with 150 business leaders hosted by PM Theresa May.

Mr Trump’s visit to the UK comes at a time of great strain between the US and its allies. In January, over a million Britons signed a petition against his visit, an unheard-of development in what has been described as ‘the special relationship’. Tomorrow, more than 50,000 are expected to protest against the US president in central London, where Mr Trump will largely stay clear of.

Despite the uproar, British officials will take Trump’s visit seriously. Washington remains the UK’s single biggest trading partner and, with Brexit threatening to undermine trade with the EU, expect London to look across the pond for further commerce. Conservatives argue that bilateral trade could ease a ‘hard-Brexit’.

Today’s visit will probably increase the likelihood of a post-Brexit trade deal. However, if the UK completely leaves the bloc’s markets, do not expect US trade to completely make up for the loss. Such a scenario threatens to hamper Britain’s economic growth for years to come.

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